A peek into the boudoir of a virtual fashion addict

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All posts for the month January, 2017

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

― Anne Bradstreet

Although spring may be just around the corner, winter is flashing its icy claws this weekend to remind some of us that it still has dominion over the first month of the year. I decided to explore a few of my favorite photography sims to see if there was a wintery spot to reflect the chilly mood I was in. I found a warm and cozy wintery spot to help put me in the right setting for an outfit from Coco that spoke to my mood.

The sim I settled on is It All Starts With a Smile. I always find some little hidden place here to snap a photo. Today I found the perfect spot in one of the wintery cottages they currently have on the sim. I cozied up in a wonderful bed by Bazar that I found had a great amount of really interesting poses. If you are looking for a well-made comfy bed the Stockholm bed by Ria Bazar is just the ticket. Not only does it have some really nice poses, it has a good deal of options for the color of the pillows and blanket.

I settled in and was inspired, even though it was blustery outside. Now all I need is a nice cup of hot chocolate and some soft music in the background. I think I am warming up already.

“Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.” Dalai Lama XIV

I saw a movie today that struck a chord with me. It was about a writer who had written a story involving a writer who had found a story written by someone and thinking the author must have died years ago published the story as his own. It got me to thinking of how many lives are folded into one’s own life. People say that they have many sides. Do people also have many lives? For those of us that live in real and virtual worlds the answer must be yes. Although we may be the same person, do some of us present a different side of ourselves virtually? How about with one group of people versus another? Is that other self a better self, or is it a less desirable self? I think how you handle this situation depends on you. When given the chance to reinvent yourself, what have you done with that opportunity?

I know my approach has been to try and be a better version of me virtually. I see it as an opportunity to not repeat mistakes; a second chance to do better. Sometimes I am successful, and sometimes not, but I see it as a chance to expect more of myself. I have always been a harsher critic of myself than I think others may be. I am a perfectionist so it positions me to always fall short of my own expectations for myself. In that aspect I am the same in both worlds. I still have yet to figure out the way to fine tune my need to do well, with a contentment with my efforts. Maybe I should get another dog. Dogs are always happy with you, or at least they have a way of making you believe they love you just for showing up.

In my move to emphasize the positive this year, I am not going to talk about the people who use their virtual space to be mean. I don’t understand why someone would choose to do that. My only guess would be that they carry a lot of pain, in both lives. With so many beautiful places in Second Life, go explore. Try to find something peaceful to lift your spirits. There are so many places to discover that can do that for you. Make a choice to seek the good things that are all around you. Just my two cents…

“Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness.”

~ Eckhart Tolle ~

I am beginning this year with a conscious effort to make 2017 a year of self-improvement. There are some person goals I want to accomplish this year. This means that I will need to be more conscious of living in a manner that puts the achievement of those goals as a top priority. I believe that the people who can properly maintain a balance of caring for themselves and the needs of those in their life have truly achieved something special. For some people this is an effortless thing. For me I believe it will take some time to get this in the proper balance.

I have generally been a person who thought that my wants could be put on hold and they really did not matter as much as what others needed. I don’t think this is the optimal balance. I believe I need to change and it will take a conscious effort to achieve a good balance of these two things so I remain a good friend, neighbor, and citizen while still making sure to be good to myself.

I grew up watching the way my mother put her needs behind those of others around her. She always made sure everyone was taken care of in a way that made it seem as if everything was well under control. She was always happy and seemed very content. I have never doubted that this is the way to have a happy life. I can honestly say that I do find joy in making people happy. To know that you have been the cause of placing a smile on someone else’s face gives you a sense of having done something worthwhile.

I never questioned this approach to life. I still believe this has merit and there is always joy in living a life to help others. One of the things I also have come to realize is that if you do not care for yourself, no one else is likely to take on that task. The last thing my mother said to me was “Please do something good for yourself for a change”. At the time I was not sure why she said that to me, but looking back I think I know why.

So in search of doing good things for myself this year, I wanted to start the year with a beautiful photo. I think this amazing photo that Skip Staheli made of me fits that to perfection. Skip has warmed my heart and made me feel very special in this photo. Thank you Skip.:)

So cheers to an amazing year of happiness for everyone and to the achievement of all our personal goals!